Don't blink...: California Dreamin'

Cameron & I took a little trip. My sister and her kidos were making the trek to California to visit so I figured it was the perfect time to go too. You know, kill 2 birds- I get to see my family and friends I still have there AND see Amy.

I'm not sure how to explain my love of Paradise. It's where I was born and where I lived until June 30th 1981. I was 14 and devastated. I'd like to tell you I was stoic and suffered in silence, you know like a Jane Austin heroine.

NOT ON YOUR LIFE.

Any-hoooo....

Early flight means early wake up and to top it off, Cam had a fever, was achy and felt like dog poop. Yay for getting to travel with your adult child that does NOT suffer in silence. Thank God for DayQuil!

SW Air gave us a little "glad you're going to Cali" present

I'm, obviously no stranger to the heat but this took me by surprise. The 'at least it's not humid' argument did not hold water. It was so stinking hot.

We made a trip to the cemetery to visit and take flowers to family there. There are several more, but these are the 3 that I still can't believe are gone.

My Nana. I had to be the Nana because of the grandmother she was.

My Papa. Hands down the kindest, most patient man I've EVER known.

My cousin Chad. He was 18 and the world was his oyster. He was in a car accident on the 4th of July.

We took a day to go to Lake Orville at Lime Saddle. What a fun time! We swam and ate and relaxed.

Henry is a great little captian

My sis

We took a little drive up to Stirling City one day too. I hadn't been there since I was 13 or 14 years old. It had always been a place to drive through on our way to camp at the High Lakes.

Sawmill Peak still has a fire look out station.

We made our way up the road and up to Merlo Park an absolutely beautiful place to spend the day.

Mutant trout

Take my picture!

I learned how to play Bocce Ball. Girls against the boys!

I miss ginormous pine trees so much.... except for cleaning up all the needles.

Chapel

Cam & I made our way to Chico to do the only thing that he had on his agenda- Sierra Nevada Brewery. We had a delicious lunch and tasted some very yummy beers. I mean come on! We were in a convertible, in California, on vacation. How could it not be awesome.

Headed back up the Skyway I had to stop for this picture. Don't laugh, I used to have dreams about this sign.

And really the most important thing we did was spend some time with my Grandma. She turned 87 on the 5th of June and she is something else. Perfect example- when she mentioned she though I was going to Alaska this summer I said that I'm going next year since it's my class reunion. Then I laughed and said a year gives me some time to lose 20 pounds and get some plastic surgery. She looked right at me and said, "Lissa, you don't need plastic surgery! But the 20 pounds..." she has earned the right to say whatever the hell she wants.

I also learned what will go in my book as one of the best war bride stories EVER...

We were going though pictures and I asked if she had a wedding picture. I've never seen one, so I was curious. She said "Oh no! We didn't have any pictures, we ran away to Reno and got married." Go Gram & Gramp! The story we got goes like this.... My Grandpa was on the USS Tennessee when it was bombed at Pearl Harbor. It was damaged and while he was waiting for a new ship assignment, he got to go home for leave. Oh right, he was engaged to a girl named Phyllis too! He went roller skating one evening with a friend who was meeting his girlfriend. The girlfriend brought a friend- bet you knew that would be my Gram! He walked her home and 4 DAYS LATER they were headed to Reno to tie the knot. Hell, I don't know what happened to Phyllis, and neither does Gram. "Well we were engaged for a good 24 hours before when went! Besides people did that during the war all the time."

LOVE THIS STORY

Can you imaging being married to someone that you knew for 4 days before they went to war for years? And they were together until he passed away.

Which reminds me, the reason there is no tomb stone for him? He's still on her dresser. She won't let him go till she goes too. ♥

They build their house themselves while living in a tent. She's a much better woman than I am!

I've loved this glass my whole life

The yard was our own private park. My parents got married in front of this tree.

My love of hydrangeas came from the beautiful ones my grandparents grew. They used to the the hedges all around the front. Now she has them only in the back.

Coco is the doxie she rescued. She is fiercely protective of her, as all doxies are!

I also got to spend the evening with a very dear friend. Lynette is really the only one left in Paradise that I still communicate with. Facebook has made that soooo much easier, but we've always done cards and letters. I met her when I was 5, just a few weeks before we went to Kindergarten. She is my oldest friend in the best way possible.

I can't wait to go back and take Adam. You don't realize how much of your heart is still in a place until you go back.